Chinese Porcelain: A Glance Into Its History
Chinese Porcelain History
There are many variations of Chinese Porcelain which date back to centuries ago. The majority of my paintings from The Porcelain Series reflect the patterns that were first applied to porcelain in China at the end of the Kangxi period (Circa 1720). By the end of the 19th Century, these colors and patterns had become the most common of all decorative techniques utilized in China for porcelain. Around 1840, they started to export it, and to this day, they continue to still make and export it. Many people confuse Rose Medallion to other patterns, as well as the quality and value, so I wanted to decipher between these most notable designs.
1.) Rose Mandarin:
· Mainly decorated with figural scenes that are often depicted in gardens or scenes both in interiors or terraces. You’ll see most Rose Mandarin patterns framed within borders of varying compositions of flowers, birds, insects, fruit, and fish. Ultimately, the main focus of Rose Mandarin depicts people.
2.) Rose Medallion:
· Rose Medallion typically has alternating panels of people and varying combinations of flowers, birds, insects, fruits, and fish. It is a mix of both people and other objects.
· Often, the central medallion in Rose Medallion pieces usually are of a bird or peony flower.
· Rose Medallion is essentially a mix between Rose Mandarin and Rose Canton.
3.) Rose Canton:
· This type of porcelain reflects that of flowers, birds, insects, fruit, fish, and NO people,
You can typically determine when these pieces were created by looking at the mark-making and glazing on the bottom. This type of porcelain was created mostly between the 1830s to the early 1900s. Examples made after 1895 are often marked with "CHINA", and "Made in China" is a dead giveaway that is was created in the 19th century or later. Note that the finest pieces were made before 1860 and have no mark on the underside. If it has “Made in Hong Kong” underneath, then you can assume that this is not an antique and is considered modern.
Another key way of seeing how ‘antique’ your porcelain is, look at the quality of the art. As the popularity of this pattern grew in demand, artisans' work suffered as time passed due to the popularity and demand.
Lastly, when looking at the bottom of your porcelain, if it is glazed completely, then you can also register that it is newer. If it has a wonderful, rough surface underneath, this indicates that it is older.
I hope that these tidbits help in understanding how to differentiate the difference between your Chinese porcelain and its value.
If you have any tips or knowledge about this beautiful type of porcelain, please share in the comments below!
All the best,
I created 5 beautiful folded greeting cards from my watercolor Rose Medallion porcelain paintings that are perfect to gift to loved ones, grandparents, neighbors, coworkers, and hostess gifts (under $25!). Grab a set here!
A glimpse at the upcoming series:
